Hi I’m Michelle
My journey through yoga & pain
Yoga has transformed my life profoundly. From the very first moment I stepped into a yoga class and onto a mat, I felt something very special. I knew there was something more to yoga than just breathing and moving our body. Since, I have spent over a decade dedicating most of my time to understanding this very ancient practice.
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In 2016, I left my profession as a portfolio manager for a large financial institution and travelled to India where I spent over four years studying, practicing, and teaching yoga and meditation. There, I delved into the study of classical hatha yoga, yin yoga and yoga philosophy with some extraordinary teachers. I became aware of how yoga leads us to a calm, peaceful, and more joyful state. Moreover, there is something about this practice and lifestyle that helps relieve pain and suffering. There is a growing body of scientific evidence that shows how yoga is an effective tool to treat pain. In recent years, I have turned my focus to the science behind pain, and I continue working on trying to puzzle together the pieces that make yoga a practice so well suited to treat chronic pain.
I have personally had a long history of chronic pelvic pain. Since a young age, I have had problems with IBS, chronic constipation, injuries to my coccyx and pelvic floor pain. Things got very bad in 2008 when I was diagnosed with a rectal fistula and underwent numerous surgeries. Nothing seemed to help. It was excruciatingly painful and devasting for all spheres of my life, including my body, my morale, my work and my personal relationships. Pain affected all aspects of my existence, even the way that I connected and interacted with my environment. But then I started to practice Yoga. Yoga had a tremendous and profoundly long-lasting impact on my healing process, my IBS, pelvic pain, and my entire life. Today, I have been pain-free for many years and attribute it to Yoga and to my wonderful Doctor.
The History of Chronic Pain
My Philosophy Surrounding Yoga for Chronic Pain
Thirdly. Pain is complex. There are many factors (physical, emotional, mental, intellectual, environmental…) that come into play when pain becomes persistent. Pain affects all systems of our body and existence. However, these same factors can also in turn be used to contribute to recovery. Science is still trying to understand this complex alarm system and how it is interconnected to all our other systems including the immune, endocrine, nervous, respiratory and muscular to name a few.
First, I believe, and I have learned, that all pain is real. It’s not because they can’t figure out what, where or why there is a chronic problem that it’s all a figment of your imagination. Just because pain is invisible doesn’t mean it’s not there. No, your pain is real.
Secondly, sometimes we think: “oh there is so much pain and I have had it for so long, I must be really damaged”. But, and this is a hard one to wrap our minds around, pain is not an accurate indication of tissue health. This means that just because we hurt, does not mean that there is harm. Furthermore, the amount of pain we experience is also not proportional to the severity of injury, disease, or how much damage there is, nor is it a sign of where the problem is, what the problem is or how to fix the problem. In the end though, not being able to make sense of our chronic pain, also makes it harder to live with.
Fifth, all pain is changeable. This is where the idea of neuroplasticity comes in: with chronic pain, our systems have been altered or remolded in a certain way. The good news is that they can also be altered back. Yes! We have the power to change pain. It’s not an overnight fix. It may take time, patience, practice, learning new information and skills, but we can influence and change our pain. And yoga can help!
Fourthly, all pain is about protection. Pain is part of a sophisticated and complex alarm system of our existence aimed at keeping us safe. Safety and danger are key components of pain.
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Treating and recovering from chronic pain is a journey.
A journey filled with ups, downs, hurdles and obstacles. It is a path of learning, self-care, reflection, and self-introspection as well. I feel that Yoga should be part of a number of ongoing practices on this journey to recovery.
I don’t believe it’s necessarily about finding that one thing that will fix everything, but rather discovering and maintaining a combination of practices, treatments, therapies and surround yourself with experts that will serve you. To name a few, these various avenues can include western/eastern medical care, proper nutrition, physical, and psychological therapies, activities that bring meaning once again to life.
I also believe it is important to feel empowered. To take back responsibility and control over our own selfcare and treatment by surrounding ourselves with a variety of expertise suited to our individual condition, beliefs and views. It is important to surround ourselves with things that nurture our healing process, foster courage and resilience and makes us feel safe.
Certifications & Yoga Trainings
- 2022 - Pain Care Aware YTT - 50 Hour
- 2021 - Professional Pain Care Mentorship Program – Pain Care U (Neil Pearson) - 360 Hr Program
- 2020 - Yoga Sutra Intensive - Sivananda Yoga Vidya Peetham, Kerala India - 300 Hour Training
- 2019 - Yoga for Pelvic Pain with Leslie Howard - 20 Hour Training
- 2018 - Yin YTT with Bernie Clark, Vancouver, Canada - 50 Hours
- 2017 - Yin Yoga Teacher Training, Arsha Vidya, Kerala, India – 50 Hours
- 2017 - Advanced YTT - Sivananda Yoga Vidya Peetham - Kerala, India - 500 Hours
- 2016 - Yoga Anatomy Teacher Training Course & Dissection Lab - 30 Hours
- 2015 - Kids Yoga and Yoga Nidra TTC, Sivananda Ashram, Bahamas - 50 Hours -
- 2014 – YTT, Sivananda Ashram, Bahamas - 200 Hours
